Stem Cells!

Carla was having her stem cells harvested from 7:00 a.m. until 11:15 today.  We won't know the quantity of stem cells collected until Monday.  Basically this machine is a large centrifuge that separates out the stem cells and some blood platelets.  It adds an anticoagulant and some calcium ions to the blood as it is returned to her body.  Just prior to returning the blood to the patient the plastic tube wraps around a heater so the returning blood will be at body termperature. (Upper left in picture.)

Harvesting Stem Cells

Note the Quinton catheter in Carla's upper left chest.  It has two ports.  One for blood coming out of her body and into the machine and the other for the blood returning to her body.

Cells

This is the collection bag.  It is similar to when you donate blood.  I failed to get a picture of the final collection but it contained probably 5X as much as when I took this picture.

The collected cells will undergo some post processing before they are frozen.  The stem cells will be separated more from the red blood cells and possible myeloma cells.

Tomorrow we have to go to 7C for blood tests and growth hormone shot at 8:00.  I suspect that Carla will have to have a platelet transfusion as the harvesting of stem cells also collects some platelets.  Her platelet test was low today so it will probably be lower tomorrow.  We will also have to go back at 5:00 p.m. for another hormone shot.

Hopefully the second stem cell harvest session at 7:00 a.m. Monday will be Carla's last such session and she can get her catheter removed. 

Carla's hair has been falling out since Wednesday.  We got a hair net for her but she finally got tired of dealing with it.  This evening when we returned from getting the hormone shot we stopped at a salon and she got a "buzz" cut.  Monday we will go shopping for wigs. 

Perry, one of the patients farther through the treatment, gave her a red, while and blue bandanna like you often see bikers wear.  She wears that a lot around the house and the green knitted hat shown in the picture.